What was once a well-known neighborhood recreational landmark that bustled with the sounds of youth basketball and other community related activity has been reincarnated to create a contemporary conference and banquet event space.

For 60 years, the building at 1922 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive was home to The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club. Now, the S. G. Atkins Community Development Corporation has transformed the old gym into a 4,710 square foot, high-tech conference center that is opening its doors to serve the Winston Salem and Forsyth County community in a different capacity. The Enterprise Conference and Banquet Center is on the first floor of The Enterprise Center, a combination business incubator and community education center.

“As the newest addition to The Enterprise Center, this space is more than a typical event center. We also want the space to be used to promote economic development,” said Carol Davis, executive director of the S. G. Atkins Community Development Corporation. “We will focus on planning educational workshops, job training, job fairs, business networking and conferences in addition to community fundraising events, luncheons, receptions and banquets.”

The Enterprise Conference and Banquet Center (ECBC) is the culmination of five months of construction and $450,000 in renovations. It officially opened Oct. 18 when it hosted a 50th class reunion for Winston-Salem State University alumni. City Councilman Derwin Montgomery also plans to hold his East Ward Town Hall Meeting at the ECBC today (Thursday, Oct. 25), and the entire community will be invited to attend a Holiday Open house on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The fully-carpeted conference and banquet space will accommodate 312 people with theatre or banquet style seating. The room, which has a 22-foot ceiling, can be set up for a variety of individual meeting needs and also can be subdivided to fit smaller group sizes and break-out sessions. An adjoining mezzanine is available for receptions and meeting space. The conference center also provides audio-visual rental and wireless internet connection.

The Atkins CDC has also named Patricia Degraffinreaidt as the event center manager. She has many years of experience in catering, sales, management and as an event planner.

For more information, contact Davis or Degraffinreaidt at 336-734-6900 or HYPERLINK “mailto:sgatkinscdc2@gmail.com” sgatkinscdc2@gmail.com.